Inkscape: Path → Trace Bitmap does nothing (no preview, no error)
Trace Bitmap silently did nothing on an image already embedded in an Inkscape 0.92 document. Opening the image fresh in its own window, tracing there, and pasting the path back worked.
Tested onUbuntu 19.10; Inkscape 0.92
Symptoms #
Selecting a simple black-on-transparent bitmap that was already embedded in a document and running Path → Trace Bitmap… did nothing: no preview, no error message, no outline. Plenty of people online reported the same, without a fix.
Cause #
Unknown. It seems to depend on how the image got into the document; a freshly opened copy traces fine.
Fix #
Trace the image in a separate document and paste the result back:
- Delete the embedded copy of the image.
- File → Open… the image file in a new window. In the import dialog choose Image DPI: From file and Image rendering mode: None (auto), then OK.
- Select the image.
- Path → Trace Bitmap…, tick Brightness cutoff, press Update (the preview now appears), then OK.
- Ctrl+C the new path, switch to the original document, Ctrl+V.
- Resize with Ctrl + a corner handle to keep proportions.